World Cup Round-Up (Day 13) – Uruguay and Serbia Head Home as South Korea Progress

03/12/22 874

The final round of group-stage games took place on Friday, bringing an end to a thrilling opening phase of the 2022 World Cup. As expected, Day 13 in Qatar lived up to the hype and did not disappoint.

South Korea stunned Portugal as both sides progressed from Group H, eliminating Uruguay and Ghana from the tournament. Over in Group G, Cameroon beat Brazil. However, Switzerland joined the five-time champions in the last 16.

Let’s look back at all the action from Friday’s clashes.

South Korea Come From Behind to Beat Portugal

Ricardo Horta’s fifth-minute strike put Portugal in control against South Korea, but the Asian side knew they had to win to stand any chance of reaching the knockout phase. And that’s exactly what they did.

Kim Young-gwon equalised on 27 minutes before Hwang Hee-chang netted the winner in second-half stoppage time. As a result, South Korea snatched second place in Group H on goals scored.

Uruguay Out Despite Victory Over Ghana

Uruguay secured a relatively comfortable 2-0 win against Ghana at Al Janoub Stadium, with Giorgian de Arrascaeta bagging a first-half brace. But the South Americans failed to qualify for the last 16.

Despite finishing level with South Korea on four points, Uruguay’s lack of goals throughout the tournament ultimately cost them a place in the knockouts. Veteran striker Luis Suarez was reduced to tears at the final whistle.

Switzerland Win Five-Goal Thriller Against Serbia

Stadium 974 witnessed a remarkable clash between Serbia and Switzerland. After Xherdan Shaqiri gave the Swiss the lead on 20 minutes, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic swiftly scored to put Serbia ahead.

However, Breel Embolo leveled the scored on the stroke of half-time before Remo Freuler sealed a 3-2 win for Switzerland just after the restart. Switzerland finished second in Group G on six points – five points clear of last-place Serbia.

Cameroon Beat Brazil But Fail to Qualify

Brazil conceded their first shots on target and first goal of the tournament against Cameroon on Friday. Still, the South American giants managed to clinch top spot in Group G after winning their first two games.

The only goal of the game came in the 92nd minute, when Vincent Aboubakar’s header beat Ederson. But Cameroon ended up finishing third in Group G – two points outside the qualification places.